Car-replacer.



PATENTED MAY 5,1908.

G. H. SARGENT. GAR 'REPLAGER'.

APPLICATION FILED JULY'15, 1907.

. I f rflf m WITNESSES ATTORNEYS anion.

GEORGE H. SARGENT, OF FLUSHING, NEW YORK.

CAR-REPLACER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1908.

Application filed July 15, 1907. Serial No. 383,852.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. SARGENT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Flushing, Long Island, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Replacers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in car replacers of the V type, or the type which straddles the rails, to provide a wheel guide on either side thereof, so that the wheel may be lifted onto the rail from positions either to the inside or outside of the same.

More particularly, my invention relates to a car replacer of this sort, so designed as to embody certain advantages to be found in the replacer of my United States Letters Patent #804983, re-issued June 25th, 1907.

The replacer of my aforesaid patent is not of the V type, but rests 011 the ties entirely to one side of the rail, and picks up the wheel from that side of the rail only.

Since, whenever a car is displaced, one wheel rests inside and the other wheel outside of the track, the individual replacers shown in my aforesaid patent are not alike in design. The outside replacer is designed to lift the wheel flange over the rail, while the inside replacer merely slides the wheel tread onto the rail. A replacer of the type of the present invention, which straddles the rail to lift from either side thereof, must be in the nature of a combination of an inside and outside replacer, so as to have the function of both. It is such a combination of the two single replacers of my aforesaid patent that is the subject of the present invention. In order, therefore, to fully understand the present invention, a brief discussion of the features of the invention of my patent is deemed desirable.

All replacers in use to the time of my previous invention, and all the V type of replacers to the present date, so far as I am aware, have been objectionable in one or more features, affecting their operativeness, increasing their cost, or both. Not uncommonly, the replacers have been of very considerable weight. This feature makes their cost unnecessarily great, and is otherwise objectionable. On the other hand, where the replacers have not been heavily constructed,

they have been liable to destruction by the weight of the cars. As heretofore designed they have been sub ect to great local strains.

Commonly, they have had to take the full weight of the wheel from the flange of the latter, and, because of the circumferential curvature of the wheel, and the transverse curvature of the base of the flange, this weight has been transmitted to a single point of the replacers with the result that the latter has often been cut into and broken, or the flange itself broken. Again, there has often been difliculty in getting wheels into a starting position on the replacer. Unless the replacer is angularly adjustable with re spect to the rail, the wheel trucks have generally to be moved angularly or laterally until in position to be engaged by it. Furthermore, because of the local strains referred to, the pick-up ends of the re lacers have heretofore been of considerab e thickness, and this, 'in conjunction with the fact that the derailed wheel flanges are usually embedded in the ties, has necessitated a lifting of the wheels, as by means of wedges, to give the flanges a preliminary seating upon the pick-up ends of the replacer; all of which is a troublesome operation and. not uncommonly results in displacement or breaking of the replacer, besides entailing the cost of the wedges, which are almost invariably rendered worthless by a single usage.

In my present invention, as in that of my patent aforesaid, I have a replacer, in which excessive local strains are entirely eliminated. My replacer, or frog, instead of receiving the full weight of the wheels on a single point defined by the wheel flange, and, furthermore, of receiving this excessive strain at the pickup ends where the frog is weakest, engages, in the first instance, the wheel tread, and does not engage the wheel flange until the wheel is well upon the frog, or is about to slide toward the rails. By thus avoiding the cutting and breaking action of the Wheel .flanges, I am able to make my replacer much lighter than has heretofore been possible. Furthermore, my replacer is so designed that there is no abutment of either wheel flange or tread against its end as the wheel comes onto the same. In my invention, the frog is cut away at the sides so that the wheel flange does not engage the frog until after the Wheel is lifted; and, furthermore, the tread engaging surface by which the wheel is first lifted is so tapered orformed as to be readily slipped under the wheel tread as the wheel rests on its flange on the ties, whereby the first imthrust on the wheel flange.

pact of the tread is a downward pressure on top of the frog instead of a lateral blow against the end of it. This feature is of great importance because, in addition to obviating the necessity of lifting the tread onto the frog, it avoids that end blow on the frog which so often displaces and breaks the same. In fact, in my invention, the downward pressure of the car, in the first instance, tends to hold the frog against displacement.

In the use of my invention, it is simply necessary to place the pickup end of the frog under the tread of the wheel and then pull the car. The tread of the wheel is never embedded, as is the flange, and, therefore, without the necessity of any lifting, the wheel may be rolled up the incline of the replacing frog and onto the rail, as hereinafter to be described.

In replacing a wheel from inside the track, the wheel is commonly shifted toward the rail from the pick-up extension by a throwoff nose or its equivalent. This shifting may be done by causing the wheel flange to slide down a laterally inclined surface onto which the wheel is drawn; or, it may be done by drawing the wheel flange against a guide or flange on the replacer, the guide being so disposed as to cause the forward movement of the wheel to be translated into a lateral Shifting the wheel in the latter manner, viz., by a lateral thrust on its flan e, has the objection of not being reliable and the further obj 'ection that the replacer, or the wheel flange, is often thereby broken. The wheel is liable to pass over the guiding flange on the replacer instead of being guided laterally by it; and, in so doing, either the replacer or the wheel flange is likely to be injured. Moreover, con

- siderable force is required to shift a heavily loaded wheel laterally over a flat surface, and such shifting puts a great strain upon the replacer. On the other hand, where the shifting is done by drawing the wheel onto a laterally sloping surface, the wheel flange cannot cut into any part of the replacer, and the strain on the replacer as the wheel slides down toward the rail is but slight and does not injure it. In spite, however, of the obvious advantages of the sliding movement, no replacer of the V type, so far as I am aware, has heretofore been constructed to embody a laterally sloping throw-off nose or surface. I have constructed the V replacer of my present invention, however, to have such a throw-off nose, and I consider this an important feature of the invention.

Because of its peculiar and novel structure, my frog combines great strength with lightness. I-Ieretofore, when attempts have been made to lighten the frogs by making the same hollow with supporting ribs or webs, the structures have assumed what may. be

termed a shed forn1that is to say, a form much stronger, as the supporting braces are better disposed with respect to the strains to be resisted. I consider the I beam formation an important element of my invention. These, and other advantages and objects of my invention, I attain by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of the replacer in position on the rail. Fig. 2 is an end elevation. of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are outside and inside elevations respectively of the replacer in position. Fig. 5 is cross sectional View on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures, the replacer or frog is shown as resting at its apexial portion 1 upon the rail 2 and at its pick-up ends 3 and 1 upon a tie 5. be maintained in position on the rail, there is a slot or groove 6 on the under side of the central portion of the replacer, through which the rail extends.

It has been stated to be of importance that the replacer be capable of angular adjustment with respect to the rail to accord with whatever position the displaced car wheels may be in. In order that the replacer may be adjustable so as to pick up the car wheels from any position and yet guide them properly onto the rail, the side walls 7 and 8 of the pocket or groove 6 are curved outwardly and away from the rail at either end, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to allow the frog to be swung on the rail. To hold the frog in any desired adjusted position and to prevent angular or longitudinal displacement of the same, when it is engaged by the car, the pick-up ends 3 and 4 are provided with feet or flanges 9 having holes 10 therein for the passage of retaining spikes, and having also claws 11.

As heretofore stated, the frog of the present invention is designed to pick up wheels from either the inside or the outside of the track. The extension 12 is for picking up from the outside of the track and the extension 13 with certain auxiliary surfaces is for picking up from the inside of the track. The downwardly curved. central portion 1.4, (see Figs. 1 and 3) which forms in efiect a continuation of the guiding surface of the extension 12, has the function of lowering the wheels to the rail whether from the inside or the out- In order that the replacer may side of the track, and, consequently, the wheel, no matter what its position on the ties, must be placed upon the surface 14 before it can reach the rail 2.

If the wheel be displaced to the outside of the rail, the frog is placed on the rail with its pick-up end 4 beneath the wheel tread. extension 12 is in the form of a long inclined surface tapering downward from the highest portion of the central surface 14 to a wedgelike point at the pick-up end 4. The end of this wedge is sufficiently narrow to be placed under the tread of the wheel as the latter rests upon the ties, and the surface 14 at its highest point is sufficiently above the rail 2 to permit the wheel flange to pass over the rail to the side of the same as the wheel tread travels along the inclined surface of the wedge. hen the pick-up end 4 is placed beneath the tread of the wheel, the flange of the wheel will travel along the side 15 of the extension between the latter and the rail. After .the flange of the wheel has been lifted across the rail, the wheel tread passing down the incline 14, comes onto the rail with the flange in its proper position to the side of the same.

It will be noted that, at no time in replacing a wheel from the outside of the rail, does the flange travel upon the frog or replacer. The wheel is gradually lifted out of the ties by the engagement of the tread with the wedgelike incline. By reason of the narrow, wedgelike pick-up, there is no end-on blow of the wheel tread against the frog. The first engagement of the wheel tread with the pickup end is a downward pressure tending rather to hold the frog in position than to displace it.

Coming now to the inside picleup, the extension 13 (see Figs. 1 and 2) is shown as a long incline terminating at the pick-up end in the form of a narrow wedge, and having its bearing surface 16 terminating at the upper end in the throw-off nose 17. A second bearing surface 18, forming in effect a continuation of the nose 17, extends downward alongside the surface 16 to an intermediate point of the latter and at an incline somewhat greater than the incline of the surface 16, so that, at its lower end, the surface 18 is about the depth of a wheel flange below the surface 16. The surface 16, like the surface 15 of the outside wing, is a tread engaging surface only. The surface 18 is a flange engaging surface to lift the wheel off the surface 16 and to guide it on its flange to the throwoff nose 17.

In operation, the pick-up end 3 is placed beneath the wheel tread in the same manner as described in connection with the pick-up end 4. In the case of the inside extension, however, .the wheel flange passes up alongside of the edge 19 of the extension until it reaches the incline 18, where the wheel is en- The gaged by its flange and its tread lifted off the surface 16. It is not intended that there shall be any abrupt blow of the wheel flange against the incline 18, and the incline 18 is accordingly so designed that the wheel is gently lifted upon its flange. The function of the throw-off nose is to deliver the tread of the wheel to the central portion 14 of the replacer whence it may be guided onto the rail. The incline 18 by engagement with the flange of the wheel, raises the wheel tread to an elevation somewhat higher than the surface 14. The throw-off nose 17 is in the form of a convex curve, as shown in Fig. 2, and the wheel flange leaving the surface 18 slides down the curved surface to the throwoff nose until its tread falls upon the surface 14, with its flange in the pocket or groove 20. Thence the wheel passes onto the rail. In order that, whatever the angular position of the frog, the wheel may be thrown toward the rail, the throw-off nose, in addition to being convex in a vertical plane, is rounded as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. On the outside edge of the incline 18 and of the throwoff nose 17 is a flange or guide 22 for guiding and retaining the wheel flange. The flange or guide 22 flares outwardly and downwardly so that, even if the wheel tread is not at first squarely seated upon the frog, it will still be prevented from running off the frog and will be guided into proper position onto the nose by the engagement of the wheel flange with the guide 22. As in the case of the outside extension, there is no end-on blow of either the wheel flange or the wheel tread against the inside extension, as the wheel comes onto the latter; and the wheel is lifted by its tread only, until it is practically at the elevation necessary to pass it to the rail. It travels on its flange but the small distance of the incline 18, at a time when it is being lifted but little, if at all, and its engagement with the throt -ofl nose is a sliding engagement, so that the cutting and breaking effect to the flange on the frog is entirely avoided, as well on the inside as on the outside pick-up.

For peculiar lightness and strength, and particularly to design the frog so that it may be made of cast steel, I have constructed it on the plan of an I beam. The wheel engaging surfaces or bearings 12 and 16 are thin plates supported upon longitudinal braces 23 forming the I construction. For additional strength and with particular reference to any transverse strains, cross braces 24 may be formed in the casting. The cross braces 24 are particularly desirable as a support for the throw-ofl nose, as this has to resist the lateral thrust of the wheel as it slides toward the surface 14.

Whereas, I have shown and described a structure well' adapted to the body of the principles for completion of the objects of my invention, as hereinbefore first set forth, it is obvious that, in certain respects, the structure shown in the drawings may be modified without departing from the invention.

I claim:

1. A car replacer having an inclined extension on either side of the rail for picking up the wheel, a portion above the rail for guiding the wheel down onto the rail after the wheel, has been properly positioned thereover, the replacer extension inside the rail having a surface sloping down and toward the rail for sliding the wheel to a seat on its tread on said portion above the rail.

2. A car replacer-having an inclined extension on either side of the rail for picking up the wheel, a portion above the rail for guiding the wheel down onto the rail, a sloping surface cooperating with the inside extension to receive the wheel therefrom with its tread at an elevation higher than said portion above the rail, and so inclined as to guide the wheel down onto the portion above the rail.

3. A car replacer having an inclined extension on either side of the rail for picking up the wheel, a portion above the rail for guiding the wheel down onto the rail after the wheel. has been properly positioned thereover, the replacer extension inside of the rail having a flange supporting surface sloping down and toward the rail for sliding the wheel to a seat on its tread on said portion above the rail.

4. A car replacer having an inclined extension. on either side of the rail for picking up the wheel, a portion above the rail for guiding the wheel down onto the rail, one of said. side extensions having a wheel tread engaging surface and a wheel flange engaging surface, the wheel tread engaging surface extending. in advance of the wheel flange en.- gaging surface, in the form of a narrow wedge thin enough to be slipped under the tread of the wheel as the latter rests on the ties.

A car replacer having an inclined extension on either side of the rail for picking up the wheel, a portion above the rail for guiding the wheel, down onto the rail, one of said side extensions having a wheel tread engaging surface and a wheel flange engaging surface, the wheel tread engaging surface ex- I latter rests on the ties, whereby the wheel is first picked up on its tread only, a sloping throw-off nose or surface inclined laterally to said portion of the replacer above the rail and cooperating with said flange engaging surface to receive the wheel therefron'i at an elevation such that the wheel tread is higher than said portion above the rail and cooperating with said portion above the rail to slide the wheel down onto the same.

6. A car replacer having an inclined extension on either side of the rail terminating at their pick-up ends in the form. of long, narrow wedges thin enough to be slipped under the tread of the wheel as the latter rests on the ties whereby the wheel is lifted from the ties by its tread only; and a bearing surface over the rail for receiving the wheel from either extension and guiding the same down onto the rail.

7. A car replacer having a pick-up extension on either side of the rail, means for guiding the wheel from either of said extensions to the rail, and means for adjusting the extensions angularly with respect to the rail.

8. A car replacer having a pickup extension on either side of the rail, means for guiding the wheel from either of said extensions to the rail, the replacer having a groove in its under face through which the rail passes, and the groove having its side walls flared laterally to permit of angular adjustment of the replacer on the rail.

9. A car replacer having apick-up extension on either side of the rail, means for guiding the wheel from either of said, extensions to the rail, the replacer having a groove in its under face through which the rail passes, and the groove having its side walls flared laterally to permit of angular adjustment of the re placer on the rail, and a throwoff nose cooperating with one of said pick-up extensions to receive the wheel therefrom and. to deliver the same to the means for 4 guiding the wheel to the rail, said nose being rounded to maintain its relative position with respect to the rail during all angular adjustments of the replacer.

10. A car replacer having a pick-up extension on either side of the rail, means for guiding the wheel from either of said extensions to the rail, means for angularly adjusting the replacer on the rail, and a throw-off nose cooperating with one of said pick-up extensions to receive the wheel therefrom and to deliver the same to the means for guiding the wheel to the rail, said nose being rounded to maintain its relative position with respect to the rail during all angular adjustments of the replacer.

1],. A car replacer having a pick-up extension on either side of the rail, and means for guiding the wheel from either extension onto the rail, said extensions being of I beam formation, by reason of the wheel bearing surface and a longitudinal strengthening brace below the same.

12. A car replacer having a pick-up extension on either side of the rail, and means for guiding the wheel from either extension onto. the rail, said extensions consisting of narrow tread engaging surfaces, and a longitudinal strengthening brace for each, whereby each extension is of l beam formation.

13. A car replacer having an inclined ex tension on either side of the rail and means for guiding the wheel onto the rail from said said extensions lying to the inside and the extensions, one of said extensions being so shaped as to engage and pick up the wheel by its tread only.

14. A car replacer having an inclined extension 011 either side of the rail and means for guiding the wheel onto the rail from said extensions, said extensions-being so shaped as to engage and pick up the wheel by its tread only.

15. A car replacer having an inclined extension on either side of the rail and means for guiding the wheel onto therail from said extensions, one of said extensions being so shaped as to engage and pick upthe wheel in the first instance by its tread only, but subsequently to engage the wheel by its flange.

16. A car replacer having an inclined extension on either side of the rail for picking up the wheel, a portion above the rail for guiding the wheel down onto the rail, one of said side extensions having a wheel tread engaging surface and a wheel flange engaging surface, the wheel tread engaging surface extending in advance of the wheel flange engaging surface whereby the wheel is first picked up on its tread only, a sloping throwol'l' nose or surface inclined laterally to said portion of the replacer above the rail and cooperating with said flange engaging surface to receive the wheel therefrom at an elevation such that the wheel tread is higher than said portion above the rail and co operating with said portion above the rail to slide the wheel down onto the same.

17. A right-hand and a left-hand car replacer to straddle the right and left-hand rails, respectively, each of said replacers having two Wheel replacing extensions, one of other to the outside of the rail, a portion over the rail for guiding the wheel down onto the rail, said inside extensions having each a wheel flange supporting surface over which the wheel is adapted to be moved to a seat with its tread on said portion over the rail, the outside extensions having each a flange guiding surface which by engaging one of the wheels forces the other wheel which rests upon the inside extension of the opposing replacer, over the aforesaid flange supporting surface on the inside extension of said opposing replacer to its seat on said portion over the rail.

-18. A right-hand and a left-hand car replacer to straddle the right and left-hand rails, respectively, each of said replacers having two wheel-replacing extensions one of such extensions lying to the inside and the other to the outside of the rail, a portion over the rail for guiding the Wheel down onto the rail, said inside extensions having each a wheel-flange supporting surface over which the wheel is adapted to be moved to a seat with its tread on said portion over the rail, the outside extensions having each a treadsupporting and flange-guiding portion which by engaging one of the wheels forces the other Wheel which rests upon the inside extension of the opposing replacer over the aforesaid flange-supporting surface of said opposing replacer to its seat 011 the portion of said replacer over the rail.

Signed by me at New York city this 26th day of June 1907.

GEORGE H. SARGENT. l/Vitnesses:

FRANK P. SIMoNs, THERON A. OLEMENTs. 

